Shio Kombu — Seasoned Ma-Kombu Strips
Shio Kombu — Seasoned Ma-Kombu Strips

Shio Kombu — Seasoned Ma-Kombu Strips

$16.00
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Shio kombu is kelp simmered in soy sauce and seasonings until concentrated, then dried. A scatter of strips over warm rice, folded into butter, or dropped into a finishing sauce — and the dish changes.

This version is made by Okuikaiseido, established in 1871 in Tsuruga, Fukui. For over 150 years the company has sourced, aged, and processed kombu from Hokkaido for professional kitchens across Japan. Award-winning chefs from around the world have visited the Okuikaiseido warehouse to see the aging cellars firsthand. The company is the Gift-in-Kind sponsor of the Culinary Institute of America.

The kelp is Ma-Kombu, harvested from Shiraguchihama in southern Hokkaido — the origin of Japan's most refined and aromatic kombu. Ma-Kombu carries a naturally sweet, clean glutamate profile and holds through cooking without turning sharp or bitter.

After simmering in soy sauce, the strips are cut matsuba style — narrow and forked like pine needles — then slow-dried. The outside sets dry and firm; the inside stays tender. The result is concentrated, gently sweet, savory, and firm enough to hold its shape on a plate.

A pinch of shio kombu replaces finishing salt and adds umami in a single step. No preparation is needed. It begins releasing flavor the moment it meets a warm ingredient or sauce.

Kombu (Ma-Kombu, southern Hokkaido, Japan), soy sauce (wheat, soy — Japan), salt, sorbitol, seasonings (amino acids), sweetener (licorice root), acidifier.

Contains: soy, wheat (soy sauce). Produced in an environment where shrimp and crab are present.

80g / 2.82 oz — Single bag · 2-bag bundle (for home and gifting)

Sets of 6 are available to professional buyers.
For orders larger than 6 bags, please contact us.

No preparation is needed. Use straight from the box.

Shio kombu works best as a finishing seasoning — added at the last moment where residual heat draws out the aroma. Scatter directly onto a warm dish, fold into butter, or add a pinch off-heat into a sauce. It softens slightly into warm fats, releasing glutamates cleanly.

Pairing notes: cuts through fatty proteins and dairy. Adds mineral depth to neutral bases. Works wherever a dish needs both salt and umami in one step.

Application by dish
・Compound butter: fold into room-temperature butter with lemon zest; serve tableside over grilled fish, steak, or roasted root vegetables
・Pasta: toss off heat with olive oil and a squeeze of citrus — the kombu seasons and replaces finishing salt
・Warm salads: scatter over dressed bitter greens, roasted beets, or fennel while still warm; strips wilt gently into the dressing
・White fish and shellfish: lay 3–4 strips over the fillet or shellfish the moment it comes off heat; residual warmth does the rest
・Egg dishes: fold into soft scrambled eggs, or place over chawanmushi tableside for textural contrast and a clean savory finish
・Rice and grains: stir into warm rice, risotto, farro, or quinoa off heat — functions as both seasoning and textural element
・Quick pickles: toss with thinly sliced cucumber, daikon, or cabbage; the kombu lightly cures and seasons simultaneously
・Clear broth and ramen: add to the bowl at service; rising steam activates the glutamates and deepens the broth without clouding it
・Butter sauces: whisk 2–3 strips into a beurre blanc or beurre noisette off heat for an added layer of umami depth
・Ochazuke: scatter over steamed rice before adding dashi or green tea — the traditional Japanese preparation, and still one of the most direct expressions of the ingredient

Store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity. After opening, seal tightly and refrigerate. Consume as soon as possible after opening.

Best before: 6 months from production date.